2013 Ford F-150 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 1,342 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2013 Ford F-150, 45% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 94,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “first gear” (22% of reports).
- 1,342power train complaints
- 94,000median miles at failure
- 25mention a crash
- 25mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 62%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- First gear: mentioned in 294 of 1,342 complaints (22%)
- Lead frame: mentioned in 210 of 1,342 complaints (16%)
- Unexpectedly downshifted: mentioned in 109 of 1,342 complaints (8%)
- Off restarted: mentioned in 68 of 1,342 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2013 Ford F-150 at $1,350, and half of them between $1,000 and $1,900.
Based on 54 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2017–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 911 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,342 complaints, 25 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 25 an injury.
Ford F-150 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 25 | 23% | 5,330 |
| 2024 F-150 | 58 | 30% | 10,500 |
| 2023 F-150 | 158 | 38% | 33,500 |
| 2022 F-150 | 160 | 27% | 28,791 |
| 2021 F-150 | 318 | 31% | 55,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 357 | 49% | 59,000 |
| 2019 F-150 | 736 | 55% | 66,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 1,014 | 44% | 60,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 546 | 38% | 83,700 |
| 2016 F-150 | 603 | 29% | 97,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 425 | 25% | 88,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 425 | 28% | 101,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 1,342 | 45% | 94,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 681 | 38% | 90,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 826 | 38% | 96,634 |
| 2010 F-150 | 121 | 14% | 60,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 33 | 10% | 38,673 |
| 2008 F-150 | 50 | 14% | 50,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 57 | 12% | 70,000 |
| 2006 F-150 | 46 | 8% | 38,500 |
| 2005 F-150 | 112 | 10% | 65,850 |
| 2004 F-150 | 232 | 11% | 35,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 62 | 15% | 40,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 53 | 6% | 54,260 |
| 2001 F-150 | 74 | 6% | 64,239 |
| 2000 F-150 | 47 | 4% | 54,104 |
| 1999 F-150 | 75 | 7% | 84,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 83 | 6% | 95,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 151 | 5% | 99,904 |
| 1996 F-150 | 26 | 8% | 109,750 |
| 1995 F-150 | 75 | 12% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with 5.0L or 6.2L gasoline engines, that previously had the powertrain control module (PCM) software reprogrammed under recall 19V-075. The software used to reprogram the PCM did not have the necessary updates to prevent the transmission from unexpectedly downshifting into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S19.
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may unexpectedly downshift into first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: Unexpectedly downshifting into first gear may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S07.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The truck randomly hard downshifts and the gauges stop working and it wont shift back out of third gear. I can stop the truck and shut it off and when I turn it back on it still will be in third gear. If I turn it to manual sometimes I can get it to go down to second but it is a hard shift and then…
Truck will not shift into the correct gears when driving, would jump from 1st to a higher gear, it would shift weird and would lose the dash gauges when the truck was shifting.
My truck is shifting erratically going from 5/6th gear down to 1st/2nd. It looses power. My battery light comes on, the wrench comes on, check engine light comes on but no codes come up. I have already put in a new transmission at my cost.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Ford F-150s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,342 owner complaints about power train for the 2013 Ford F-150 (45% of the 2,989 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford F-150 power train?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 94,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2013 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,350 (half paid between $1,000 and $1,900), from 54 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2013 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “first gear”, in 294 of 1,342 complaints, followed by “lead frame” (210).
Other 2013 Ford F-150 problems
- Engine problems (548)
- Electrical System problems (324)
- Service Brakes problems (321)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (302)
- Steering problems (216)
- Visibility/wiper problems (146)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (130)
- Visibility problems (50)
See all 2013 Ford F-150 problems or power train problems across all F-150 years.